A behavioral change-based approach to energy efficiency in a manufacturing plant

In the realm of industrial energy efficiency studies, very little research has been done to understand the barriers and opportunities to influence behavior of production workers and the corresponding energy-saving potentials. This paper analyzes a case study of Volvo Construction Equipment AB in Braås, Sweden (VCE Braås), that has reduced its relative idle electricity use by more than 10 percentage points during 2013–2016 by implementing a strategy of changing everyday behavior of production workers. The results based on interviews with actors involved in the energy efficiency project showed that a concrete goal, the employment of a fulltime operational leader who earlier worked as a production worker at VCE Braås, and the involvement of both the leadership and employees in project management were key to the success of the project.     

An Agent‐Based Pythagorean Fuzzy Approach for Demand Analysis with Incomplete Information

Analyzing demand in environments with incomplete information is a challenging task. This paper proposes a novel agent‐based Pythagorean fuzzy approach for analyzing this kind of demand. First, a Bayesian game is described with a large number of finite players, and this is followed by a Pythagorean fuzzy‐based decision mechanism. Unlike the classical methods in the literature, the proposed method in this paper neither assumes nor forecasts the demand in a system. Instead, it tries to analyze the demand when there is limited availability of input data, or processing data are computationally expensive. The study ends with an application of the proposed system to an electricity grid. Electricity prices used as an incentive to construct an agent‐based system that efficiently reduces the peak amounts in a smart grid by analyzing the demand. Test results provide evidence that the proposed approach is promising to design demand response systems.     

Combined chemical peeling and dermabrasion for deep acne and posttraumatic scars as well as aging face

We provide an introduction to genetic linkage analysis. We discuss methods for the genetic analysis of common, complex disease such as diabetes, heart disease or hypertension. We describe the analysis of affected sibling pairs and discuss some of the challenges in applying these methods.     

Two-stage integrated-optic acoustically tunable optical filter with enhanced sidelobe suppression

Demonstrates a two-stage integrated-optic acoustically tunable infra-red optical filter with subnanometre bandwidth and -19 dB sidelobe suppression. This configuration also eliminates the optical frequency shift of one-stage devices.<>     

Correlation between carrier porous structure and gas-sensitive properties of thermocatalytic gas sensors

In order to determine the correlation between the gas-sensitive properties of the thermocatalytic gas sensor (TGS) and the porous structure of the carrier, two types of carriers have been investigated. Their sorptional parameters at different calcination temperatures have been studied. The parameters of the porous structure and the gas-sensitive properties of the TGS are characterized by measurements of benzene vapour adsorption and methane oxidation using methane/air mixtures, respectively. The obtained data indicate that the sensitivity of the TGS is related in some way with the structural parameters of the carrier (pore size and diameter distribution). Carriers must have a sorption capacity no less than 0.30 cm³ g⁻¹, surface area of 100–140 m² g⁻¹ and possess biporous pore-volume size distribution.     

Phase change and heat transfer characteristics of a eutectic mixture of palmitic and stearic acids as PCM in a latent heat storage system

The phase change and heat transfer characteristics of a eutectic mixture of palmitic and stearic acids as phase change material (PCM) during the melting and solidification processes were determined experimentally in a vertical two concentric pipes energy storage system. This study deals with three important subjects. First is determination of the eutectic composition ratio of the palmitic acid (PA) and stearic acid (SA) binary system and measurement of its thermophysical properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Second is establishment of the phase transition characteristics of the mixture, such as the total melting and solidification temperatures and times, the heat transfer modes in the melted and solidified PCM and the effect of Reynolds and Stefan numbers as initial heat transfer fluid (HTF) conditions on the phase transition behaviors. Third is calculation of the heat transfer coefficients between the outside wall of the HTF pipe and the PCM, the heat recovery rates and heat fractions during the phase change processes of the mixture and also discussion of the effect of the inlet HTF parameters on these characteristics. The DSC results showed that the PA–SA binary system in the mixture ratio of 64.2:35.8 wt% forms a eutectic, which melts at 52.3 °C and has a latent heat of 181.7 J g⁻¹, and thus, these properties make it a suitable PCM for passive solar space heating and domestic water heating applications with respect to climate conditions. The experimental results also indicated that the eutectic mixture of PA–SA encapsulated in the annulus of concentric double pipes has good phase change and heat transfer characteristics during the melting and solidification processes, and it is an attractive candidate as a potential PCM for heat storage in latent heat thermal energy storage systems.     

Wide Dynamic Range High Output Impedance Current-mode Multifunction Filters with Dual-output Current Conveyors

This paper reports five new single-input multiple-output current-mode multifunction filter circuits which can simultaneously realise three basic filter functions all at high impedance outputs. The circuits employ only the same type of active elements, grounded passive components, andno element matching conditions are imposed. The filters permit orthogonal adjustment of the quality factor Q and angular resonant frequency ω₀. The active/passive sensitivities are shown to be low.     

Choline-based ionic liquids-enhanced biodegradation of azo dyes

Industrial wastewaters such as tannery and textile processing effluents are often characterized by a high content of dissolved organic dyes, resulting in large values of chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD and BOD) in the aquatic systems into which they are discharged. Such wastewater streams are of rapidly growing concern as a major environmental issue in developing countries. Hence there is a need to mitigate this challenge by effective approaches to degrade dye-contaminated wastewater. In this study, several choline-based salts originally developed for use as biocompatible hydrated ionic liquids (i.e., choline sacchrinate (CS), choline dihydrogen phosphate (CDP), choline lactate (CL), and choline tartarate (CT)) have been successfully employed as the cosubstrate with S. lentus in the biodegradation of an azo dye in aqueous solution. We also demonstrate that the azo dye has been degraded to less toxic components coupled with low biomass formation.